1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a cassette protective cover for protecting a tape cassette of a so-called reel-to-reel type and more particularly is directed to a cassette protective cover having a thickness substantially same as the maximum thickness of a tape cassette and which can easily be mounted on or dismounted from the tape cassette, thus improving a portability of the tape cassette
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to protect a tape cassette, such a cassette receptacle container is known that is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,325. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,325, a main part of the cassette receptacle container is constructed as follows.
The combination of a magnetic tape cartridge and storage container therefor comprises a first open receptacle container portion having a pair of side walls of equal length, an end wall connected with each said side wall at one end thereof, a bottom wall connected with said end wall and said side walls at one edge thereof, said bottom wall extending for only a portion of the length of said side walls defining a cut-away in said first receptacle portion whereby said side walls extend freely beyond said bottom wall; a second container portion having a lid wall substantially overlying said side walls over the entire length thereof in the closed position of said first and second container portions, a configured wall in spaced substantially parallel relation with said lid wall, said configured wall having the same shape as said cut-away and being dimensioned for closely fitting within said cut-away in the said closed position, additional lid wall means connected with both said lid wall and configured wall at the aligned edges thereof defining a pouch; a tape cartridge containing at least one tape reel, said cartridge positioned in said pouch, a major portion of said cartridge projecting beyond said configured wall, means hingedly connecting said first and second container portions for pivotal movement about an axis intersecting said side walls of said receptacle portion at the free ends thereof and passing through said pouch; and fixed means in said first open receptacle container portion locking said reel against rotation within said cartridge in the said closed position of the container portions. The above cassette receptacle container is dimensioned such that the length is 11 cm, the width 7 cm and thickness 1.8 cm. So, this cassette receptacle container is sensed too large to be inserted into, for example, the breast-pocket of a shirt and so on. On the other hand, when a tape cassette is used outdoors to enjoy a recorded musical program, in most case, a tape cassette is taken out from the above cassette receptacle container and then carried. In this case, there occur such troubles that dusts or the like enter the tape cassette through its opening portions and damages a magnetic tape therein and also that the magnetic tape stretched between a supply hub and a take-up hub is slackened and so on. In order to obviate this defect, such a tape cassette receptacle container has been proposed, which is disclosed in, for example, the publicated document of Japanese patent application examined, No. 40540/1975.
The outline of the publicated document of Japanese patent application examined, No. 40540/1975 will briefly be described with reference to FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 generally designates an ordinary tape cassette of a so-called reel-to-reel type. This tape cassette 1 has two holes or apertures 2 through which a pair of drive shafts are inserted to drive a pair of hubs around which a magnetic tape is wound. The tape cassette 1 has through its front surface formed opening portions 3 through which the magnetic heads and so on are inserted to face the magnetic tape stretched between the supply hub and the take-up hub in the tape cassette 1. Swell portions 4 and 4a are respectively formed on upper, lower, right and left surfaces of the tape cassette 1. Reference numeral 5 designates a cassette receptacle container which consists of an upper plate 5a, a lower plate 5b and a rear plate 5c. The upper plate 5a and the lower plate 5b are both hingedly coupled to the rear plate 5c so as to freely open and close. Reference numerals 6a and 6b respectively designate cut-away portions which are formed through the upper and lower plates 5a and 5b at the positions corresponding to the upper and lower swell portions 4 of the tape cassette 1. Reference numerals 7a and 7b respectively designate engaging portions which are formed on the upper and lower plates 5a, 5b at the positions corresponding to the apertures 2 of the tape cassette 1. With this construction of the cassette receptacle container 5, the tape cassette 1 can be clamped in the cassette receptacle container 5 relatively compact in size. However, the tape cassette 1 can not be released from the cassette receptacle container 5 by one touch action, thus causing a problem when being used with a car tape recorder while a user is driving a vehicle. Also, there is a defect that the title of the tape cassette 1 can not be viewed until the upper and lower plates 5a, 5b are opened. In this case, if the title of the tape cassette 1 may be attached to the rear plate 5c of the cassette receptacle container 5, this defect could be solved. However, the tape cassette may frequently be inserted into the cassette receptacle container which has a title different from the title indicating the content of the tape cassette. In these cases, it is therefore desired that the title of the tape cassette can be viewed through the cassette receptacle container.